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Pera uni conducts anti ragging course at Vihare
The University of Peradeniya will conduct a course on ‘Personality, Leadership and Ethical Behaviour’ for about 1000 second-year undergraduates of the university. The course organised by the Department of Sociology and co-ordinated by Professor S. Wijesinghe targets second-year students, as it had been identified, that second-year students, egged on by third-year students have been the chief culprits in the ragging of freshers.
Participants including undergraduate monks
The aim of the programme is to bring to an end the menace of ragging at universities.
The course will be conducted at the Ridihi Raja Maha Vihare at Ridigama, in the Kurunegala district.
The Mahanayake of Malwatta Chapter, the Venerable Tibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera has permitted the university to use Ridihi Raja Maha Vihare as the venue for the course on ‘Personality, Leadership and Ethical Behaviour’ for one thousand second-year undergraduates.
Mr. Upul B.Disanayake, Vice chancellor of the University of Peradeniya said that this was the first time in the history of the universities in the country, that a course conducted by the university would be held outside of the university premises.
The course, lasting three days, will to be conducted in batches of three hundred and fifty students at a time. The course is expected to be completed in March.
The Venerable Tibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera said, indiscipline among any grade of students needed to be stopped if the country is to progress. He added that it was with this in mind he had permitted the use of the spacious area of Ridihi Maha Vihare and its international auditorium to be used by the university. He added that he was willing to offer any other services available at that premises if it would benefit the country.
Vice chancellor (VC) Mr. Dissanayake added corruption and other anti-social activities had overtaken the country. Whether it be the lowly grama sevaka, or those manning the highest echelons of society, corruption was the common denorminator which bound them. Yet most of these posts were manned by the very people who studied at the hallowed portals of our universites he said.
Mr. Dissanayake speaking to the first batch of students said, the course content would help the students rethink their role in society and help them discipline themselves.
He added a large number of students within the university were involved in party politics, had become mouth-pieces for cheap politicians mouthing empty political slogans. He said they had forgotten themselves and the reasons they had joined the universities.
These students had fallen behind in their studies. A number of them had completed eight years on campus, but were in no position to sit their exams. Now they are pleading for a chance to sit their examinations and are asking for revision classes. But this was not possible, and there was no way out he said.
Speaking to the students gathered at the auditorium, the VC said students needed to first concentrate on their studies and at a later period go into other fields.
Professor Wijesinghe co-ordinator of the ‘Personality Building, Leadership and Ethical Behaviour’ course also spoke.